THEY don’t mess about at Avonbourne.

New name, new trust status, new sixth form, a shadow twilight curriculum and a summer school are just some of the new initiatives at the Bournemouth school.

And hugely successful business ideas have also earned numerous awards and national recognition.

Recent years have also seen GCSE results soar at the Harewood Avenue school, which now forms part of a new trust with the neighbouring boys school.

Formerly Avonbourne and Portchester schools, they are now known as Avonbourne College and Harewood College and together form the Avonbourne Academy Trust with Debbie Godfrey-Phaure in the role of Executive Headteacher.

Although the two sites largely operate independently, there are some shared activities and both boys and girls will be welcomed into the Trust’s over-subscribed new sixth form in September.

A shadow curriculum operating out-of-hours offers subjects including Mandarin, statistics, psychology and sociology, giving students a taste of subjects usually reserved for sixth form study.

And youngsters joining Year 7 in September will get the chance to study English and maths, as well as the opportunity to take part in sporting activities, during the summer holiday.

Mrs Godfrey-Phaure said she is proud of the school’s links with the local community and with communities worldwide.

The school’s multi-award winning Digi-Steps programme offered a helping hand to older people in the area who wanted to learn computer skills.

Students spent hours of their free time helping them to get to know the basics and giving them the chance to use the internet.

And a newer programme, Project Emerge, stretches further afield offering assistance to budding entrepreneurs in developing countries.

So far more than 40 mini businesses have got off the ground worldwide thanks to support from Avonbourne students.

“The children use their business skills and apply them to the good of their community, both in a local and worldwide community sense” said Mrs Godfrey-Phaure. “I am very proud of that.”